After reading Sunday’s blog about our trip to the Antique Extravaganza in Mount Dora and seeing the picture of the lifelike mannequin of an old man taking a photograph, longtime readers Susan and Ron Wilson set me these pictures of a mannequin security guard they found at a museum in Connecticut.
Isn’t it amazing how lifelike he is?
Just like the one we saw at the Antique Extravaganza. Whoever is creating these things is a true artist.
Every once in a while, I tell you about a good movie we found, and today I’m going to tell you about two free ones that we recently watched on YouTube. One is called Another Mother’s Son, based upon a true story about a woman from the British island of Jersey, which was occupied by the Germans during World War II, and her efforts to hide an escaped Russian prisoner. It was an excellent movie and a frightening depiction of just how evil human beings can be when their excuses are that they are “just doing their job.”
The other movie, also based on real-life events, was She’s Still Mine, starring James Cromwell and Geneviève Bujold. It is the story of a feisty Canadian couple in their 80s struggling to cope with the challenges of aging and the wife’s slowly advancing dementia. When her husband decides to build a small cottage on their rural property that will be easier for her to get around in, he runs afoul of local bureaucrats who threaten to put him in jail because he won’t jump through all the hoops they require. The movie will bring a tear to your eyes, as well as some chuckles as you watch their story play out.
Yesterday was another good writing day for me. I started off by making the corrections that Judy Rinehimer, one of my excellent proofreaders, suggested to the last chapters I sent her. Then I started writing again, and by the time I was done, I had added another 5,000 words to my current Tinder Street manuscript. I love the ways this book is coming together, and I’m looking forward to sharing it with you.
Of course, no day is complete without some of Miss Terry’s delicious kitchen creations, and last night’s dinner was homemade chicken noodle soup, complete with homemade noodles. Trust me, that stuff you buy in a can at the grocery store is not even in the same league. And the good news is, she made enough that we have leftovers for another meal!
And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us.
Thought For The Day – I used to think that the worst thing in life was to end up alone. It’s not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel alone. – Robin Williams
Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!
There’s another mannequin like that at the Soo Locks in the little museum at the park. Very life like.
Hi Nick:
We are old friends of Ron and Sue Wilson and they forwarded your blog today to us. We live in CT. The artist of the security guard figure that stands in the lobby of the New Britain Museum of American Art is Marc Sijan. We have seen many of his life-like figures in museums around the country and he is a wonderful artist. I don’t know that he did the one of the gentleman taking the photo that you saw. Apparently Marc is considered a “hyper realistic” sculptor. His studio is in Milwaukee and his art has been featured in exhibits all over the world. On line photos of his work show some amazing figures.
Darlene Allen